Besides Timothy, St. Paul associates with him- self in the closing salutation the brethren, oi (riv iixol aSe\((>ol (4--). Who these were we are not told, but they can have had no part in the composing of the letter, as they are evidently those referred to in 2^' and accused of selfishness. Their own in- terests came before the interests of the Philippian Church, to which St. Paul probably asked them to convey authoritative tidings of himself. Nor would the saints as a whole (i.e. the Christians generally, but especially those of Caesar's household) know anything of the letter save that it was being sent. The saints of Ca-sar's household were not members of the ruling family but.freedmen and slaves con- nected with the Imperial court (cf. Lightfoot, Philippinns, p. 171 f. ; Zahn, op. cit. i. 550).
It is possible that the letter was written by Epaphroditus (that Epaphroditus is mentioned in the 3rd person is no absolute objection to tliis) if the phrase 'true yokefellow' {yvrinK aiv^vye, 4') is to be taken as an appellative. The meaning is, however, very doubtful, and the most varied sug- gestions have Ijeen made— Christ, Lydia, Paul's wife, Timothy, Peter, Paul's brother, an allegorical personage, etc. Lightfoot (in loc.) and Zahn (op. cit. i. 537) are of the opinion that Epaphroditus, who was either beside St. Paul as he wrote or who actually wrote the letter, was directly addressed in this way. This Epaphroditus was a messenger (airio-ToXo!) sent by the Philippian Church to St. Paul with a monetary gift (4"), and his experience is described in the letter : ' I think it needful to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow- worker and fellow-soldier, your messenger and minister of my need. For he w,as home-sick for you all, and distressed because you heard he was ill. And indeed he was nigh to death ; but God had
pity on him, and not on him alone but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am send- ing him tlien all the more eagerly, that you may rejoice again when you see him, and that I nuiy sorrow the less. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy ; and have such in honour, because on account of the work of Christ he came near to death, hazarding (?ra/)a/3o\«uffo;ne>'os)* his life to make up what was wanting in your ministry to me'
But it is perhaps better to regard Synzygus as a proper name — possibly the pen-^on to whom the letter would directly come before it was read in the church assembly. The author, in a passage full of earnest passion, runs hurriedly over certain auto- biographical details. He was of true Hebrew descent — circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as regards the Law a Pharisee, aa regards zeal persecuting the Church, with a clean record as far as Law-righteousness went. But all these privileges he considered loss and still so con- siders them for Christ's sake. To know Christ (perhaps ■yvCoai.'s is here used as being admitted to His intimate friendship ; ci. (refiaaTdyfuaTr]! ; Deiss- mann, Licht votn Oslen, p. 288, Eng. tr., p. 383), to gain Him, to be found in Him, that is worth all, and the rest is worth nothing in comparison with it. Earthly fortune, future, and fame are but stable- sweepings compared with this (Ramsay says Paul gave up literally his patrimony and was disowned, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, London, 1895, p. 3411.). For by faith in Christ the writer has been pardoned and empowered to live a new righteous life — the very thing the Law could not do. Thus the power which animated Christ in His resurrection, in His life and Passion, in His death is working in St. Paul, and St. Paul is energizing to live in the absolute newness of life that this implies. Absolute attainment is not yet his, but it is his single aim. Whatever his past progress may have been, he is not contented with that. Past attainment is not perfection, but it brings nearer the realization of what is implied in the high calling of God in Chri.st Jesus (S''"''').
Here then is a letter purporting to be from one with such a history who specially associates Timothy with himself, who sends greetings from brethren, especially those of Caesar's household with whom was Epaphroditus, to a Christian community in Philippi. Does a careful study of the letter itself substantiate such a view ? Is there anything in the letter itself (as Baur and others think) in- consistent with its own account of its origin and authorship?
Before we can answer we must ask who were the recipients and wliat were their relations with the writer.
2. The recipients of the letter. — The letter ia written to all the saints in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons (!'). Throughout the letter, however, there is no further mention of officials ; and there is a remarkable impartiality as well as cordiality towards the members of the community as a whole (cf. the use of iras, P- ■■• '• '■ =» 2"- -* 4='). We have an account by an eye-witness in Ac IG"^"" of the founding of the Philippian Church — a Church interesting to us as being the first Christian com- munity on European soil. It is, however, to be remembered that the distinction between Europe and Asia was not anything like so real to men in ancient times as it is now. Dubiety is at once raised by the mention of ' bishops and deacons,' but this IS largely due to modern associations. Wo think of these words in their modern sense or in their 3rd cent, sense. That they are not so used